Outside the Beltway

Whitney Houston, once one of the biggest stars in American popular culture, has died.

The Blinded By The Light Edition OTB Caption Contest^TM is now over.

One wonders why any Republican politician would want to be associated with this image.

The House Of Pain Edition OTB Caption Contest^TM is now over.

Members of Congress are responding to the protests against SOPA and PIPA by withdrawing their support for the bills.

Wikipedia’s English language site will be offline for 24 hours tomorrow to protest two controversial online piracy bills.

The Turkey Roast Edition OTB Caption Contest^TM is now over.

A new ruling from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals raises a host of questions.

Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” for 2011 is much different than their “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” for 2003.

Andy Rooney, best known to recent generations as the cranky old man at the end of “60 Minutes,” has died at 92.

It’s the 5% versus the 1% moreso than the 99% against the 1%.

Country music legend Hank Williams, Jr. is not a fan of the current administration.

If you haven’t experienced the joys of peddling around Germany with 15 of your closest friends while enjoying several liters of Munich’s finest, you’re too late.

Derek Thompson argues that “the real reason Americans fell so squeezed” is our obsession with productivity.

Matthew Yglesias resurrects an argument that should have died off when Napster disappeared.

Rick Perry placed his cowboy boots firmly on the third rail of American politics.

That a popular two-term governor of Utah is being rejected by likely Republican primary voters as insufficiently conservative shows just how extreme American politics has gotten.

Before achieving astounding success, Steve Jobs had to experience disappointment and failure.

Money isn’t the only benefit some receive for their work.

Is she in or is she out? And does it matter?

Rick Perry will need to get past Michele Bachmann before he takes on Mitt Romney. But, really, how hard could it be?

A political science-y response to the question of whether the system is broken.

I got your broken right here: the presidential nomination process.

Borders Books is closing, because the free market works.

A new Tim Pawlenty television ad is raising copyright issues rather than, as intended, bringing back memories of the 80s.

While his best-known solo effort was “anti-religious, anti-nationalistic, anti-conventional, [and] anti-capitalistic,” John Lennon became a Reagan Republican a few years later, his assistant claims.

When Tom Petty found out Michele Bachmann was using his “American Girl” to introduce campaign events, he issued a letter saying, in essence, “Don’t do me like that.”

What if in 1861 a cable news network existed to broadcast the events of the day?

As of June 17, Sarah Palin is a registered US trademark, serial number 85-170,226.

Amusingly, the most recent episode of South Park, “You’re Getting Old,” perfectly encapsulates my view of recent episodes of South Park.

A new study finds that college tuition costs could be cut in half if lazy professors got off their butts.

Jack Kevorkian, the man who’s illegal assisted suicide rampage earned him the nickname “Dr. Death,” has died.

Go The Fuck to Sleep, the children’s book aimed at parents, has become an Internet sensation and reached #1 on Amazon well before its release owing to a leaked copy.

“Internet addiction” is a made-up malady.

The iconic WKRP in Cincinnati is not being syndicated or available on DVD in its original format because it’s classic rock soundtrack is hamstrung by copyright laws and music licensing fees.

Radley Balko and his blogs are moving to Huffington Post.

This letter from legendary music journalist Lester Bangs is making the rounds